Surprisingly Dangerous Food for Dogs

Who can resist sharing food when those puppy-dog eyes are begging for a treat? While some human snacks are safe in small doses, many common food are bad for pets. Being a good pet parent involves knowing how to say “No” and holding off on spoiling your furry friend. Some dangerous food can cause all sorts of health problems that you might not be aware of.

• Chocolate

Theobromine is a bitter alkaloid of the cacao plant and can be found in chocolates. This isn’t harmful to humans, but it’s toxic to your pets. It can be found especially in dark chocolate and baking chocolate. It can result in vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, seizures, tremors, or even death. Keep your sweets locked away!

• Salty Foods

Salt can cause sodium ion poisoning or excessive thirst and urination. Eating too much salt might lead to vomiting, seizures, high body temperature and diarrhea. This can be also fatal, so keep it to a minimum when you share your food with your dog.

• Garlic and Onions

These are toxic to dogs whether fresh, cooked, dried or powdered. They can destroy a dog’s red blood cells, which may lead to anemia. 

• Dairy

Dogs aren’t built to process dairy products. They lack the enzyme called lactase which breaks down dairy sugar into glucose. Dairy can cause gastrointestinal diseases and the high-fat content may lead to pancreatitis.

• Raw Food

Raw eggs can contain e.coli or salmonella and may cause skin problems for your dog. Raw meat can lead to food poisoning, and raw fish contains parasites that cause fatal diseases. Cooking kills bacteria and parasites in food that may hurt your dog.

Having your dog on a raw meat diet is risky and veterinarians actively discourage it. Do more research about it first and consult your vet once more if you’re considering this diet.

• Grapes and Raisins

This might be the most dangerous food for your dog. This causes renal failure which may lead to death. Kidneys start to shut down, causing vomiting and lethargy. Raisins and grape juice are even more dangerous as they’re concentrated forms.

Other products that we should be wary of sharing to our pups include caffeine, alcohol, human medicine, seeds and pits from fruits, raw potatoes and bones. Remember to keep them away from your furry friends! Resist giving them these treats and do your best to stick to a diet approved by your vet.